First, Second, & Third Conditional
Conditional Clause and Main Clause
If I have enough money,
conditional clause |
I
will go to Japan.
main clause |
I will go to Japan,
main clause |
if
I have enough money
conditional clause |
First, Second, and Third Conditional
1.
First conditional:
|
If
I have enough money, I will go to Japan.
|
2.
Second conditional:
|
If
I had enough money, I would go to Japan.
|
3.
Third conditional:
|
If
I had had enough money, I would have gone to Japan.
|
Conditional clause
|
Main clause
|
1. If + Present Tense
|
will
+ inf / present tense / imperative
|
|
|
2. If + Past Tense
|
would
+ inf
|
3. If + Past Perfect Tense
|
would
have + past participle
|
We
do not normally use will or would in the conditional clause,
only in the main clause. |
Uses of the Conditional
- First conditional
- Nature: Open condition, what is said in the condition is possible.
- Time: This condition refers
either to present or to future time.
e.g. If he is late, we will have to go without him.
If my mother knows about this, we are in serious trouble.
- Second conditional
- Nature: unreal (impossible) or improbable situations.
- Time: present; the TENSE is
past, but we are talking about the present, now.
e.g. If I knew her name, I would tell you.
If I were you, I would tell my father.
Compare: If I become president, I will change the social security system. (Said by a presidential candidate)
If I became president, I would change the social security system. (Said by a schoolboy: improbable)
If we win this match, we are qualified for the semifinals.
If I won a million pounds, I would stop teaching. (improbable)
- Third conditional
- Nature: unreal
- Time: Past (so we are talking
about a situation that was not so in the past.)
e.g. If you had warned me, I would not have told your father about that party.(But you didn't, and I have).
Remember!
1. The conditional
construction does not normally use will or would in if-clauses. EXCEPTION:
If will or would express willingness, as in requests, they can be
used in if-clauses.
e.g. If you will come this
way, the manager will see you now.
I would be grateful if you would give me a little help.
(= ± please, come this way; please, give me...)
I would be grateful if you would give me a little help.
(= ± please, come this way; please, give me...)
2. For the second
conditional, were replaces was:
If I were a rich
man...
3. After if, we can
either use "some(-one, -where...)" or "any(-one, -where...).
If I have some spare time
next weekend....or :
If I have any spare time...
If I have any spare time...
4. Instead of if not,
we can use unless.
e.g. I'll be back tomorrow
unless there is a plane strike.
He'll accept the job unless the salary is too low.
He'll accept the job unless the salary is too low.
5.There is a "mixed
type" as well, for the present results of an unreal condition in the past:
If + Past Perfect - would +
inf.
If you had warned me [then], I would not be in prison [now].
If you had warned me [then], I would not be in prison [now].